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Joker
the Joker is a criminal mastermind. Introduced as a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor, the criminal became a goofy prankster in the late 1950s before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s. As Batman's nemesis, the Joker has been part of the superhero's defining moments, including the murder of Jason Todd—and the paralysis of Barbara Gordon. The Joker has had various possible origins during his decades of appearances. The most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white and turns his hair green and lips bright red; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance, the Joker is considered by many to be his perfect adversary. The Joker possesses no superhuman abilities, instead using his expertise in chemical engineering to develop poisonous or lethal concoctions and thematic weaponry, including razor-tipped playing cards, deadly joy buzzers, and acid-spraying lapel flowers. The Joker sometimes works with other Gotham City supervillains, such as the Penguin and Two-Face, and groups like the Injustice Gang and Injustice League, but these relationships often collapse due to the Joker's desire for unbridled chaos. The 1990s saw a romantic interest for the Joker in his former psychiatrist, Harley Quinn, who became his villainous sidekick. Although his primary obsession was Batman, the Joker has also fought other heroes, including Superman and Wonder Woman. Biography The 1940's The Joker first appeared in the spring of 1940 as the hero batman's first villain. The Joker initially appeared as a remorseless serial killer, modeled after a joker playing card with a mirthless grin, who killed his victims with "Joker Venom," a toxin that left their faces smiling grotesquely. His true identity is unknown but he is believed ot be a descendant of a Gwynplaine, a man who known for a permanent rictus grin known as "The Man Who Laughs". The Joker's frequent reappearances defined him as the archenemy of the Dynamic Duo – Batman and Robin; he killed dozens of people, and even derailed a train. During this period, the first changes in the Joker began to appear, acting more as a prankster than threat; when he kidnapped Robin, Batman paid the ransom by check, meaning that the Joker could not cash it without being arrested. It is believed that 1942 was the beginning point for the character's transformation into a more goofy incarnation, a period that seemingly lasted the following thirty years. In 1945, the Joker was tricked into working alongside the Nazi Red Skull in battle Batman and Captain America. When he discovered Red Skulls allegiance, he switched sides and seemingly perished. He was later discovered to have been captured and forced into a Soviet Work camp unti 1949, when he was rescued and recruited into a scheme by the Joker. The 1960's In 1951, Batman learned more about the Joker for the first time. Specifically that he was the criminal Red Hood, and his disfigurement the result of a fall into a chemical vat. The Joker appeared less frequently after 1964. The villain risked becoming an obscure figure of the preceding era until a new Joker, once more in the form of a goofy prankster appeared in 1966. This new Joker was a Spanish man named Tony Rico, transformed by "Joker Venom". Rico introduced several of the Joker's defining character traits: lethal joy buzzers, acid-squirting flowers, trick guns, and goofy, elaborate crimes. He was however, only a means to an end, the original Joker had infected Rico and used his "Prankster persona" to lure the Dynamic Duo into a false sense of security and lured them into a trap in 1969 which led to the seeming death of Batman. This included killing Tony Rico. Joker could tell the Batman he faced was not the original. he'd been away too long and that Batman had retired. He would be arrested soon after. In reality, he had murdered Dick Grayson. The 1970's In 1973, after a 4-year disappearance, the Joker returned. He was once more an impulsive, homicidal maniac who matches wits with Batman. The Joker now attacked sparingly. The Joker being legally insane, was why he was sent to Arkham Asylum(reopened in 1974 first as Arkham Hospital) instead of to prison. In 1975, he began to act strangely and a visit from Dr.Occult led to the discovery that the ghost of Dick Grayson was haunting the Joker. With the help of Alfred Pennyworth, Grayson was able to move on until he willingly returned to life in 1980. The Joker escaped briefly from the Asylum but was captured again. In the case of "The Laughing Fish" in 1978, the Joker disfigured fish with a rictus grin resembling his own (expecting copyright protection), and was unable to understand that copyrighting a natural resource was legally impossible. Before his death, the Joker requested to see Batman for one last time and asked hi who he really was. Batman told him that after all he'd done, the Joker deserved nothing and left him for dead. The 1980's In 1981, a failed comedian suffering from mental Illness named Arthur Fleck, murdered three Wayne employees. A Joker themed movement began to rise when the news spread that the killer was dressed as a clown. Fleck adopted this persona and murdered the talk show host Murray Franklin before inciting a riot which led to the deaths of Willis and Catherine Todd to a masked Joker mugger. Todd would be adopted by Bruce Wayne. Strangely, Fleck seemed to disappear and the original Joker returned. Conspiracy theories said he had fleed to an spanish-speaking country hiding under the alias of "El Bromas". This was later discovered to be the result of a computer chip the Joker was able to place on people to gradually take control of them. The Joker killed Jason Todd. Batman defeated Joker once more and retired. The Joker entered a catatonic state until 1986 when the original Batman came out of retirement. The Joker's seeming last act was to commit suicide to frame Batman for his murder. Another Infected Joker, an old man, unleashed laughing gas on the Daily Planet in 1987, before being arrested and killed by the Superhero Magog. Joker returned in 1988 in another transformed individual, this time crippling Barbara Gordon and kidnapping Commissioner Gordon before Batman saved him. Another Joker seemingly appeared in 1989 when mobster Jack Napier was thrown in a vat of acid by Batman III and took up the identity before being nearly killed in a showdown with Batman where he was largely rendered a vegetable. The true Joker remained in Arkham Asylum, Batman III confronted him during a hostage situation there that same year. The 1990's Jack Napier's chemical transformation allowed him to heal and make his return as the Joker. In 1992 the Joker's gained a henchwoman in Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist who fell for—and ended up in an abusive relationship with—the Joker, becoming his supervillain accomplice. They would eventually breakup after Joke rnearly murdered a revived Jason Todd and Harley left him for a Plant clone of Poison Ivy. Joker would find a new Harley in Marian Drews. This Joker would briefly be rendered sane and become a politician under his true name of Jack Napier before returning to his clown person. He would meet his end when he kidnapped Damian Wayne and submitted him to torture to attempt to brainwash him into a Joker Jr. only for Damian to break free and shoot the Joker. Another man was infected with Joker venom and took Arkham Asylum hostage. During the time Gotham was recovering fro man earthquake, he would shoot and kill Sarah Essen Gordon. In 1999 the vigilante Anarky was discovered to be the Joker's son. The 2000s A new Joker resurfaced, or possibly a long absent Arthur Fleck, who terrorized Gotham and scarred District Attorney Nathan Naylor before being captured and arrested. Like others he would be taken over by the Original Joker's device and change into the original Joker. This body would be killed During the Arkham City incident, in which he was infected with a tainted serum called Titan. Another joker appeared claiming to be an immortal being known as "The Laughing Man". In reality the Joker had been exposed to an experimental Lazarus Pit, possibly explaining his frequent seeming returns from death. The Joker was captured and disfigured by the criminal known as the Doll Maker, who cut off his face. The Joker attempted to reattach it with hooks. He then went after every member of the Bat family. In another conflict which included infecting the Justice League with his Joker Venom, though they were cured. The Joker and Batman both appeared to perish when the cave housing the Lazarus pit collapsed. The Joker had a sort of spiritual successor in "The Batman Who Laughs" an alternate version of Batman which had been Jokerized. Finally the Joker made a brief reappearance in 2039, battling the Batman Terry McGinnis. This Joker was revealed to have been created by a chip placed on Tim Drake while he was captured as Robin. A "Joker Virus" was confronted at the end of the 21st century and destroyed by a descendant of Commissioner Gordon using a Batcomputer program designed by Bruce Wayne. This virus was believed to have been created by the Joker himself. Alternate Versions Flashpoint In the alternate timeline created by Barry Allen using his abilities to prevent his mother's death and thus the creation of the Flash. Martha Wayne is the Joker. After Bruce Wayne was shot and killed by Joe Chill, Martha was unable to cope with her loss, so she cut open her cheeks to create a faux smile. As the Joker, she is the nemesis of Batman and used Yo-Yo as a henchwoman. She kidnapped Harvey Dent's son and daughter. The Joker killed James Gordon after she tricked Gordon into shooting Harvey's daughter (disguised as the Joker). After Dent's son and daughter were saved, Batman confronted the Joker about their son's death. As Batman had recently met Barry Allen, Martha learned that there was a way to rewrite history where Bruce would live, although they would die. Realizing that her son will be Batman in that timeline, Martha fled in horror, falling to her death in the caverns below Wayne Manor. Earth 3 This Universes reverses the role of Heroes and Villains. Bullied and abused for much of his life, Jackie found happiness with the beautiful, loving Evelyn Dent, only to lose her when her split personalities developed. He became a struggling comedian at the Last Laugh comedy club, but then witnessed the club's owner being murdered by the vicious Owlman. Sick of being bullied, Jackie redesigned his act, focusing all his jokes on Owlman. He became a kind of hero to the frustrated Gotham populace for boldly ridiculing every aspect of the thuggish vigilante. Owlman's retribution, however, was deadly. Jackie's mouth was sliced open, leaving him with an unusually wide grin. Whatever sanity he'd possessed vanished in that moment as he became the Jokester, dedicating his life to ruining and humiliating Owlman and his sidekick Talon. During the second World War, Jokester aligned with the German Hero the Skull, to defeat Owlman and Captain America. He was believed dead but later discovered to have been captured. He was freed by Lex Luthor and the two operated together as part of a team of Heroes, waging a war with the Crime Syndicate and its allies, including Owlman. After a long career of fighting and resisting Owlman and Talon, Jokester found his place with the Riddler family discovering his former wife Eve and daughter Duela Dent. The two groups lost members to each other between the period of 1949 to the 1960s. The group is confirmed to have killed Syndicate members Hawkwing, and Will Batson. Luthor hatched a plan to go to another world for help. Jokester sacrificed himself to buy Luthor sometime, killing Syndicate members J'edd J'arkus and Angelique. Luthor's plan succeeded and Owlman was killed as a result of a plan to destroy Earth Prime backfiring. A new Jokester resurfaced in the late 1960's to taunt Owlman II, who was in reality the first Talon having assumed the mantle, now with Owlman's son as his own Talon. The feud continued for years, seeing Jokester killing both Owlman II and the Jason Todd Talon before being killed himself. Arthur Fleck then became the next Jokester. Fleck was able to kill Owlman III but the Villain orchestrated a fight between Jokester and Lex Luthor. The Crisis on Infinite Earths occurred and this Universe was destroyed, though it would be restored in 2005 with a complete history up until that point. Before that point, Alexander Luthor sent his son Alexander Luthor Jr into another world to protect him. It is Alexander Luthor Jr, who would recreate the Multiverse before dying. The last known Jokester was Police Officer Jack Napier. Earth-C A world populated by intelligent animals rather than humans. There, the Porker, a pig analog of the Joker, is the nemesis of the Batmouse. He would also be a sometimes foe of "Just'a Lotta Animals" that world's Justice League. Injustice The Joker tired of his unsuccessful fight with Batman, and decided to attack Superman. He and Harley Quinn killed Jimmy Olsen and abducted Lois Lane (who is pregnant with Superman's child). They placed a stolen nuclear warhead within Metropolis with a deadman switch wired to Lois. After exposing Superman to kryptonite-laced fear toxin (stolen from the Scarecrow), Superman mistaked Lois for Doomsday and killed her. Metropolis was destroyed in the subsequent nuclear detonation. A grief-stricken and vengeful Superman confronted the captured Joker, who stated that he would just escape to commit more crimes. Enraged, Superman killed the Joker and established the Regime, intent on eliminating crime through any means necessary. Earth-Minus-22 On Earth-Minus-22 of the Dark Multiverse, the Joker discovered Batman's secret identity. He slaughtered most of Batman's other rogues, as well as Commissioner Gordon, and then infected a sizeable portion of Gotham's population with the same chemicals that transformed him, subsequently killing several parents in front of their children with the goal of creating a gathering of children that were essentially a combination of himself and Batman. As Batman grappled with the Joker, the Joker finally died from the chemicals that had originally transformed him. As he died, his decaying body infected Batman with a virus that gradually transformed him into a new Joker. By the time the Batman realized this, the process was too advanced for him to find a cure. Batman killed most of his allies and transformed Damian into a mini-Joker before turning on the rest of the Justice League and then conquering the world. Although the Batman Who Laughs successfully lead the other Dark Knights in a large-scale assault on Earth One on behalf of the god Barbatos, he was finally defeated by Batman and the Joker of the Earth One. The Joker mockingly noted that even an insane Batman can only plan for scenarios that he believes are possible, and an alliance between the Joker and the Batman is the one thing the Batman Who Laughs could never have considered. Category:Characters Category:Villains